| One of the biggest trends in business right now is | | | | businesses are popping up to handle this growing |
| marrying the idea of making money to saving the | | | | need for green products and ideas to replace old, |
| environment with so-called green business | | | | wasteful methods. |
| opportunities. | | | | How can you make money from this green trend? |
| The most recent data for "green" jobs is from a U.S. | | | | By selling or marketing green products. This is a fairly |
| Department of Commerce report recently issued, but | | | | new and exciting market, and one that most experts |
| using information from 2007. Three years ago, | | | | agree will continue to grow in the next decade. |
| "green" was only a color, but green industries still | | | | Getting into the green market allows people to feel |
| made up 2 percent of the economy. In the world of | | | | good about what they are buying, creating, and |
| business, three years is a lifetime, and most experts | | | | selling, and is also allowing people to tap into a |
| agree that green products, information and services | | | | growing field that is really still in its infancy. |
| have grown exponentially. | | | | From huge corporations, that are developing green |
| In other words, more green business opportunities | | | | departments and green subsidiaries, to the small |
| exist today than ever before, and that is a trend | | | | entrepreneur selling rain barrels, people are going to |
| that is expected to continue. | | | | be making money with these green business |
| What exactly is a "green" business? Simply put, a | | | | opportunities. |
| green business is one that has no negative impact on | | | | As this trend continues, however, there is some |
| the global environment or society---and it's not for | | | | concern that companies will begin calling their |
| the "crunchie" crowd any more. | | | | products and services "green" when they are not. |
| A business qualifies as a green business if it | | | | This is called "greenwashing" and it's similar to the |
| incorporates sustainability into all its business choices, | | | | way some companies market their food products as |
| supplies and/or used environmentally friendly products | | | | "healthy" when they are anything but. |
| when possible, and has a commitment to saving the | | | | If you want to get involved in this |
| environment. A couple of examples of a "green" | | | | environment-saving effort, make certain that the |
| business is a paperless office or one that sells only | | | | companies you work with are truly green, and not |
| environmentally friendly products. | | | | just trying to capitalize on a growing business trend. |
| Anyone who provides green products---products that | | | | The idea of going green is to save the environment, |
| can be recycled and are made from recycled | | | | not to put green in your wallet. But making money |
| materials---has a green business. More and more small | | | | from green ideas is one benefit most people enjoy. |